Mangaluru: The Catholic Sabha Mangaluru and Udupi units have urged Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to declare September 8 a public holiday in the coastal districts, enabling Catholic Christian families to celebrate the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the traditional harvest festival, ‘Thene Habba’.
A delegation led by MLC Ivan D’Souza met the chief minister and submitted a memorandum seeking the declaration of a holiday in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
The delegation included Catholic Sabha Mangaluru Pradesh president Santosh D’Souza, political convener and former president Stany Lobo, Catholic Sabha Udupi Pradesh president Melwyn Aranha, and Udupi Zone president Kiran Lewis.
According to Catholic Sabha office-bearers, the chief minister received the memorandum positively and expressed his consent to declaring September 8 a public holiday in the two coastal districts. They said he also assured the delegation that an official order would be issued shortly.
September 8 holds special religious significance
September 8 marks the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an important religious occasion for Catholic Christians.
The day is traditionally observed with special devotion by Christian families in the coastal region and across Karnataka. In Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, the occasion is also widely known as ‘Thene Habba’, a traditional harvest feast associated with thanksgiving, faith and family celebrations.
The festival holds particular significance for families in the coastal belt, where the religious observance is closely connected with the agricultural traditions of the region.
Farmers offer their newly harvested produce to God as an expression of gratitude, while churches hold special religious services to mark the Nativity of Mary.
The occasion brings together faith, agricultural traditions and community celebrations, making it one of the important annual observances for the Catholic Christian community in the coastal districts.
Harvest feast brings families together
The celebration of Thene Habba traditionally begins with religious services in churches, where devotees participate in special prayers and ceremonies.
Newly harvested produce is offered as part of the thanksgiving observance. For many families, the festival also marks the beginning of a period of celebration after the harvest.
Following the church services, families gather for special meals and communal celebrations. Relatives often come together to observe the occasion, strengthening family and community bonds.
Catholic Sabha representatives said the festival is not merely a religious observance but also an important cultural and family tradition that has been preserved by Catholic Christians in the coastal region for generations.
Because of the significance of the occasion, they said a public holiday would allow families, students, employees and others to participate fully in the celebrations without the constraints of work, educational commitments or official duties.
Memorandum seeks holiday for two coastal districts
In the memorandum submitted to the chief minister, the delegation specifically requested that Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts be granted a public holiday on September 8.
The demand was based on the widespread observance of Mary’s Nativity and Thene Habba among Catholic Christian families in the two districts.
The representatives said a holiday would enable greater participation in church services and traditional family celebrations.
The delegation also highlighted the cultural and religious importance of the festival in the coastal belt, where the observance has a distinct connection with the region’s agricultural heritage.
According to the Catholic Sabha office-bearers, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar expressed his consent to the proposal during the meeting.
They said the chief minister assured the delegation that an official order regarding the public holiday would be issued shortly.
Community awaits official order
While the delegation has said that the chief minister responded positively to the request, the declaration of a public holiday will depend on the issuance of an official government order.
Catholic families and organisations in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi are now awaiting further communication from the state government.
If the holiday is officially declared, it will enable thousands of Catholic Christian families across the two coastal districts to observe the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Thene Habba with greater participation.
The request reflects the deep cultural and religious importance of September 8 for the Catholic community, for whom the day combines religious devotion, harvest thanksgiving and family celebrations.
With the chief minister reportedly assuring the delegation of a favourable decision, attention will now turn to the expected official order from the Karnataka government.